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Ujik-hai
The Ujik-hai were a race of of nomadic, warrior horsemen who lived on the steppes of the lands past Rokugan, the Northern Steppes, towards the Burning Sands. Legend of the Five Rings; Fourth Edition, p. 130 a fierce tribe of desert nomads with a three thousand year tradition of bloodlust and slaughter. Way of the Thief, p. 12 Kolat Infiltration In the year 30 the Ujik-hai met a tribe of exiled humans, who were fleeing from the lands which would be known as Rokugan. The exiles feigned obeisance and began a slow, deep infiltration in the nomadic tribe, which would bring the Ujik-hai under the control of the Kolat philosophies. Contact with the Emerald Empire Shinjo and her followers encountered the Ujik-hai in the year 45. Secrets of the Unicorn, p. 8 At first, they tried to conquer the Ki-Rin Clan when the Ki-Rin first started their exploration of the lands beyond the Empire, but eventually several of their number joined the with the Rokugani. They gifted the Ki-Rin with several innovations in both survival and horsemanship, and were a large influence on Unicorn Clan culture and practices. Way of the Unicorn, pp. 27-29 They knew nothing of a humankind created from Lady Sun's tears and Lord Moon's blood, as the Rokugani told them. Way of the Unicorn, p. 27 Schism Meeting the Ki-Rin The Ujik-hai were the first inhabitants of the Burning Sands that the Ki-Rin Clan encountered. They were a warrior people, living on the harsh steppes of the Burning Sands, and noticed the Ki-Rin's scouts. The chieftain of the Ujik-hai decided to take the Rokugani's equipment and mounts for his people. They approached Lady Shinjo under a banner of peace, and she agreed to meet with them, accompanied only by the heads of the other Ki-Rin families and a small retinue. Once the barbarians had Shinjo and her people surrounded, the chieftain launched his attack. While the Ki-Rin were not by nature warriors, and rather explorers, they were not as defenseless as might be hoped. Shinjo, a Kami, personally slew fifty men, including the Ujik-hai's chieftain. The likes of Otaku Shiko, Ide and Iuchi also accounted for several dozen. The chieftain's son, horrified by Shinjo not only cleaving his father's head from his shoulders but also lopping the head in half before it touched the ground, led his remaining men in escape. Kolat Manipulation The nomadic tribe had been thoroughly infiltrated and influenced by Kolat agents, who had prompted the Ujik-Hai into what they knew would be a hopeless battle. Afterward, Kolat agents assumed the position of the perished chieftain and were those who suggested that the Ujik-Hai might benefit by swearing fealty to Shinjo. Way of the Thief, p. 13 Joining the Ki-Rin Several of the Ujik-hai approached Shinjo after their disastrous ambush, wishing to follow a leader as powerful as the Kami. After a night's discussion, Shinjo agreed to let the barbarians join the Ki-Rin, and the vows of the Promise were exchanged. Further hostile encounters between the Ki-Rin and the Ujik-hai convinced more and more of the nomadic horsemen to join the Rokugani, and it was not long before the Ki-Rin were a true power in the steppes beyond the Empire. It was the Ujik-hai who taught the Ki-Rin how to best survive out in the wilderness, where both food and water were not easily found. Also, they brought the explorer clan new innovations in the riding of horses - the saddle and the stirrup. Lady Shinjo often spent time with one of the Ujik-hai's elders, an old woman named Martazera. She would often tell the Kami stories of the things her dead sons had done, such as fighting against other peoples of the deserts, and strange creatures to be found in the Burning Sands. It was Martazera that led Shinjo to realize how much other lands truly differed from that of Rokugan. She also introduced the custom of the kurichitai, or 'last ride,' that some Unicorn whom were too weak to support their clan in any way took at the end of their lives, instead of retiring to a monastery. It was also the Kolat who had wished the Ujik-hai to become part of the Ki-Rin. In such a way several members of the conspiracy joined their ranks, stablishing a foothold in one of the seven Great Clans. Merchant's Guide to Rokugan, p. 16 Becoming the Moto Family The Ujik-hai came to the realization that the so-called heathens were not only worthy, they were honorable, more so than their own death gods, the Shi-Tien Yen-Wang, whose corruption was becoming evident. The vast majority of the Ujik-hai, remembering true honor, led by a man named Moto, swore fealty to Shinjo. The dark Gods were forgotten and withered. The Last Ride, Part 1, by Rich Wulf The clan of the Ki-Rin stayed with the Ujik-hai for nearly a hundred years, teaching them their ways while learning of the desert. When they decided to leave they traveled further west, taking with them the blessings and warnings of the Ujik-hai, as well as a large number of tribesmen who had joined their clan Way of the Unicorn, pp. 29-32 and formed a new family within it called the Moto. Way of the Unicorn, p. 44 Moto Clan and Ra'Shari The Battle with the Rocs separated the Ujik-hai from the Ki-Rin Clan. Those who had been in contact with Kami Shinjo became the Moto Clan, while the rest of Ujik-hai who remained apart of the Ki-rin where known as the Ra'Shari in modern times. School & Ancestor Update, pp. 28-29 The Haunted Utaku Steppes After the Return of the Ki-Rin some members of the Moto family contacted their cousins in the Burning Sands. The Ujik-hai returned to the edge of Unicorn lands with the Moto explorers, on the Utaku Steppes, where the barbarians turned on their cousins and attempted to take the lands for their own. A band of patrolling Shiotome save the day for the Rokugani, slaughtering the last few true worshippers of the Lords of Death. The resulting anguish of the Shi-Tien Yen-Wang opened a passage to Toshigoku, trapping the souls who died there. Secrets of the Unicorn, p. 53 External Links * Shiryo no Ujik-hai (Spirit Wars) * Category:Articles with Pictures